weight watchers

Nebb · September 2010

Last year I lost 34lbs by counting calories and working out, and while I felt amazing... I fell off the wagon. I lost my momentum when I had knee problems, then I stopped seeing progress so I lost my motivation and while I maintained for a good 6 months, summer patios hit and I lost any willpower I had and I managed to gain 10lbs back. Im not happy about it.

I am trying, crazy hard, to eat right and while Im making small strides I am just not doing as well as I would like. I cant seem to get back into counting and im only now just getting back into the working out and feeling good about going.

I have always thought weight watchers was just paying to count calories, but I am willing to admit that im wrong. Its only 50$ a month for me to join.

Is it worth it to try it out? will it work? What do you think?

SarahPLiz · September 2010

A former coworker of mine lost 100 lbs with weight watchers, and she was a completely normal, non fanatical person. It works. I like the accountability factor.

Nebb · September 2010

Thats the thing, Ive heard such great success stories. I cant deny that it must work, somehow, and its not a gimmic where you gain it all back immediately after.

SarahPLiz · September 2010

I think when you do it long enough, the eating habits become just that, a habit. It changes the way you think about food, supposedly.

Nebb · September 2010

I ate well for a year, but I just cant get back into how I was eating for some reason. I am just not interested in certain things anymore and I know I should eat it but I dont. I know thats a lame cop out but thats why.

jamiefour · September 2010

I have done really well with weight watchers because you have to weigh in each week and it held me accountable. I lost 40 pounds on it and kept it off for 2 yrs before falling off the wagon. I am actually going to start back up next week to try to lose weight for the wedding. For me it works really well and you can eat normal foods not just processed food from the mail. I think it depends on the person but it can't hurt to try IMO.

SarahPLiz · September 2010

I go through phases too. It doesn't take much to derail me, either. I understand where you are coming from and I wish I could help more.

LesPaul · September 2010

I joined WW about a month ago because I had to. We have wellness incentives at work, and because my BMI is higher than 24 I had to join WW to earn the $270 in wellness dollars my employer offers. I don't consider BMI to be a good measure, because it has nothing to do with fitness - I can ride my bicycle 100 miles right now, but BMI isn't adjusted for fitness levels. Anyway, I chose the online option rather than the meetings at work, because it's free for 90 days and $15 a month after that. The website is very good - much like DailyPlate, only converted to WW points. I will admit it has been hard to adjust to, since the focus of WW is fat and fiber, and the only dietary modification I have ever had success with was Atkins, high protein and low carb.

That being said, now that I have adjusted to WW I think it's going to be beneficial. I am trying very hard to eat cleaner, which translates loosely to lowfat and higher fiber than I was eating. I have only lost about 3 lbs on WW, but I'm feeling better and I think it may be a long-term success. The website has good tools and recipes, and even restaurant guides. Using it in addition to Cookinglight.com, Hungry-Girl.com, and clean eating blogs I'm optimistic about changing the way I eat and hitting my goals

JennaV26 · September 2010

My mom did it. It works if you stick to it.

Nebb · September 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_weight-watchers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:4dc3fc02-5498-4e45-98a6-927f507ae6e4Post:000bdc22-b74c-4483-89f8-b61d6585225e">Re: weight watchers</a>:
[QUOTE]I have been considering it. I pretty much have lost 5 lbs since January. Not very inspiring. I need to figure out the eating portion of my life because I have the exercise part figured out okay. I guess I am just worried that if I join I will actually have to give up things I like. So pretty much by not joining I am giving myself an excuse to eat. Sigh.
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]
That really resonates with me, because im the same way. I just dont have the willpower.

SarahPLiz · September 2010

I was really good today, and now i'm sitting on the couch eating the chocolates FI brought me from SanFran. I want them to be gone so I am no longer tempted, but then there will just be another temptation.

Nebb · September 2010

Im eating pretzels

*tinkertoy* · September 2010

IMO, it's the only "diet" that works and it teaches you how to do it for the rest of your life.

Also, the etools is totally worth it, you can look up and track all your points online.

LesPaul · September 2010

Honestly, I was hungry all the time for the first 2 weeks. I'm trying diligently to eat more veggies and what WW calls 'filling foods' = high fiber choices. This week I lost 2 lbs and ate quite a bit of food, now that I'm making better choices. I'm spending too many of my points on wine, but that's my choice. I made low fat banana bread that I would never have eaten on Atkins, but it was only 1 point per slice, and it was delicious. WW is an adjustment that I think I can live with

Nebb · September 2010

It definitely seems like it changes your outlook on food, I have seen some of the WW blogs out there with recipes and the food sounds good.

LesPaul · September 2010

My hangup is meal planning. I look up recipes, think of all these great meals I want to make, but don't plan ahead to have the ingredients available and then it's 6pm and I'm at the grocery store trying to make it happen. That's another of my goals - getting better at planning so I can eat the meals I want to and make the lifestyle change more complete. I'm not going on a diet; I'm changing the way I eat for good.

Nebb · September 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_weight-watchers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:4dc3fc02-5498-4e45-98a6-927f507ae6e4Post:e5c2f79e-6d2f-4621-b1fd-68db72cf6e00">Re: weight watchers</a>:
[QUOTE]My hangup is meal planning. I look up recipes, think of all these great meals I want to make, but don't plan ahead to have the ingredients available and then it's 6pm and I'm at the grocery store trying to make it happen. That's another of my goals - getting better at planning so I can eat the meals I want to and make the lifestyle change more complete. I'm not going on a diet; I'm changing the way I eat for good.
Posted by LesPaul[/QUOTE]
Thats exactly what I want!

LesPaul · September 2010

Exactly, Nebb. Going on a diet implies you will go off it at some point. I want to eat better forever, not make a temporary change that will set me up to fail when I go back to watever I was doing (wrong) before.

pirategal03 · September 2010

I did WW online for about 4 months at the beginning of the year. I ate every dang point that I could. Every exercise point, every weekly point, every daily point. I lost about 15 pounds. I stopped when my mom died. I just couldn't deal with trying to count points at the time. I've tried to use what I'd learned while on it. I obviously hadn't done it long enough to have everything down-pat. I've gained about half that weight back in 4 months, there's been a lot of emotional eating in my life during that time. I'm probably going to start it back in a couple weeks. I didn't feel like I was giving anything up. I just had to make choices. Ice cream today, pizza tomorrow. Or both today and much healthier food tomorrow. That kind of thing.

Being able to look up restaurant foods, and to do it from my blackberry, was a bonus for me.

LesPaul · September 2010

I'm sorry about losing your Mom, Pirate.

Kristin789 · September 2010

I've tried WW twice, and both times, I quit because of total weirdness in the particular center I went to for the meetings.

For example, the leader raced through her prepared program and asked for questions and these 50-year-old women would say how they got up in the middle of the night, and went in their nightgowns to the nearest 7-11 to buy gobs of stuff and gobble it in the car. That's not being overweight and wanting to lose some weight. That's being a psychological f-up mess.

For example, a man joined and everyone fawned all over him. In 6 quick weeks, he'd met his goal and they asked him to tell everyone how he lost the weight. He said that prior to WW, he'd been drinking two 6-packs of been every night, and now he only has 2 beers on Sat and 2 beers on Sun. So much for how much WW helped him.

Oh, and if you didn't lose at least 2 pounds a week, the woman at the scale would purse her lips and scowl at you and make some rude comment about how your LACK of loss was going to throw off that center's average weight loss for the week.

So if you join WW, you have to be willing to leave that site and try a different site next week and the week after that, until you find a place that's OK for you. I never went site-shopping, because I have a weird work schedule and few places had any time period I could attend a meeting at all.

Steph0871 · September 2010

I'm a little late to this, but I definitely say try it. Les touched on this- but you can do a free month (2 weeks?) online to try out the program and the counting and stuff before you actually commit to the program, too.

I did it for a few months and lost about 10 pounds. But then the leader changed, and I could not stand her voice. BUT I had to keep going to that center (it was a work-sponsored At Lunch program.) So I kind of stopped caring. Looking back, I probably should have shopped around for a different site and given up my $180 rebate. Oh well.

Once you do it for a few months, you really don't need to pay for WW either, to be honest. (Unless you want the weekly weigh-in accountability.) You can find WW points and recipes online everywhere. Hungry Girl has some awesome recipes. There's an iphone/droid app too- Calorie Counter that has points for a lot of foods and a ton of restaurants.

It must be working, since so many people are on it. I've noticed that a lot of restaurants are now including fiber in their limited nutritional information, which has been really helpful.

raynes · September 2010

While I won't say that a lot of people have had a lot of success with WW, from what I've seen, it's pretty low calorie if you count it out that way too. Which, to me, might not be the best if you plan on keeping up with the heavy lifting.

I'm currently following the eating 'rules' laid out in the Female Body Breakthrough, which are basically, eat clean, no wheat (whcih is tough), a fruit or veggie and protein with each meal, and lots of water. I'm down 2lbs since I started 2 weeks ago, and I'm not "tracking" per se. I'm journaling, and keeping track of splurges (you're supposed to aim for 90% "compliance").

If you need to make a change and be accountable to someone, then you might as well give WW a try. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? You lose some weight, but realize it's not for you?

Galaxy8227 · September 2010

I did it a few years ago and lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks. I've kept it off since then but I lost my momentum to keep going with the program. But it does work, you just have to count your points. You can have anything on the program, that was the one thing I really loved. I could go out to do dinner with my friends and drinks after work--just had to keep track of it.

Steph0871 · September 2010

Raynes does have a good point. It's pretty low calorie. However, you get extra "activity" points when you work out, so that should help if you're worried about lifting while on WW.

kdlopez1631 · September 2010

I joined weight watchers and it is much easier than calorie counting you get a set of points and as long as you stay in those points you are good (i didnt read any prev posts so sorry if this has already been said) but i like it but i thought it was too expensive, you can basically do the program after you learn how to count the points

aplatanada · September 2010

I do WW online and have never stepped foot in a meeting. I've love 40 lbs over a year and a half and am 5 lbs to goal.

It has been a process, that's for sure. When I first started, I ate all sorts of frankenfood- all the fat free junk, sugar-free stuff. I also rarely went outside my daily points.

As I stepped up the exercise, I realized I was starving and that the 100 calorie packs of Oreos just weren't fulling me up as much as, say, my fat free plain yogurt with honey. Just by following the program I've evolved from wanting total junk all the time to actually craving salads and stuff, with a few ice cream cravings thrown in.

I don't feel like I've made any real sacrifices I wasn't willing to make- I still eat pizza and nachos, just not more than once every 2 weeks. And when I do eat the junk, I eat quality junk- none of that nasty fat free cheese, give me the real stuff!

So I guess my rambling is to say that it can be a long process. I've changed a lot and as a result so has the way I've used WW.

Nebb · September 2010

Raynes, i have to question whether I was eating too much back then either way - I didnt lose THAT much nor did I really gain THAT much muscle, so something I was doing wasnt jiving.

raynes · September 2010

It's hard to say Nebbster. It seems like there's a "magical" balance point where if you eat too little, you're literally starving yourself, and you don't lose weight, or you eat too much, but work out, and don't lose weight.

Honestly, it's worth a shot (WW that is). I'd suggest doing the online way, 'cause it's cheaper, but if you can sign up for only a few months (maybe 3? 2?) with face-to-face meetings, then give that a shot.

It all boils down, however, you to doing it. You have to commit and make the changes. And as much as it might suck to hear it, the beer consumption has to get cut (not altogether, but less). That's doing you no favours.

pirategal03 · September 2010

Nebb, I forgot to mention earlier. WW has a set of "good health guidelines" or something like that, a certain number of servings they recommend from the different food groups. By aiming at eating the good health guidelines each day you'll end up eating your points in a way that's healthy and doesn't leave you starving. It took me a while to figure that out. At first I was all "OK I've got 21 points today, I can eat this and this and..." but once I started thinking more along the lines of getting in the food groups, I had greater success and was happier with the plan.

Nebb · September 2010

I know the beer needs to get cut down, its something my husband is helping me with. I have cut down a bit since summer, and am trying to cut it out to rarely over time. After this weekend, I suppose. Its one of the many things I over indulged on this summer

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